Working, staying on, and money

Death and Taxes

Just because you're only going to make a few thousand dollars, don't think that the Australian government won't tax you on it! Those on Working Holiday visas are generally hit with the (low) rate of 29%, although labor intensive positions like farm work have rates of 15%, in order to attract the necessary workers. Employers genearally deduct the correct amount from your paycheck, but not always. Simply leaving the country without paying taxes isn't a way out: if you owe, the ATO (Australian Taxation Office) will find you in your home country, and bill you.

As you would at home, keep all your pay slips. Also, before you move onto another job, request a copy of your final payroll statement, which should list total amounts earned and taxes paid. This is comparable to a W-2 in the United States. If you have all the paperwork, you will save yourself the hassle to trying to track down information later on in order to do your taxes, or paying a company to do it. The Australian financial year runs from July to June, not January to December. Thus, if you work in two different 'years', you will have to file taxes twice. Refer to the ATO page if you have any questions.

If you don't get any money back on taxes, there is still a possibility to claim money from your superannuation, or super, for short. A superannuation fund is money that your employer pays to the government, similar to social security in that it is generally claimed by retirees. Superannuation funds can be up to 9% of your wages. The process of reclaiming this money can be time-consuming and unwieldy, but can definitely be worth it for those who have spent more than a few months working in Australia.

The most important criteria for claiming a super is proof that you have left Australia or will be leaving Australia to live in another country. There are thousands of superannuation funds in Australia and each employer can pay into a different one. Before you depart each job, ask to be provided with the contact information of that employer's superannuation company, and your membership number. When you decide to claim your money, provide a copy of your visa, the exit stamp, and your membership fund. Again, it is best to ask for all relevant information from an employer before you leave, as it can be very difficult to track down this information once you have departed the area. Be aware that fees will be assessed by each of the different funds, and it may not be worth it to claim supers paid by companies that you only worked at for a week or two. There are various organizations that will assist you in tracking down superannuation money, for a reasonable fee. Go to Google to search for a few. Anyone who has worked in Australia since 1992 is eligible for these refunds.

Visa Options

If you wish to work in Australia, cross your fingers and then check out this list. Those who hold citizenship in the countries listed are eligible for the Working Holiday Makers Visa. This visa is for young adults between the ages of 18 and 30 who live or hold citizenship in countries that have agreements with Australia, a majority of which belong to the Commonwealth. With the Working Holiday Makers Visa, young adults are able to work for up to a year in Australia, although they must change jobs every three months. This visa was created to allow backpackers to see more of the country by supplementing their income. High paying jobs are rare and difficult to find.

United States citizens, although they cannot apply for the Working Holiday Makers Visa, can still work in Australia through the Special Program Youth USA. The visa lasts four months and is available exclusively to Americans aged 18-30. Unlike the Working Holiday Makers Visa, the Special Program Youth USA visa must be applied for through a sponsoring organization such as BUNAC or Work Experience Down Under.

Work and Money Tips

So you have the ticket, the visa and the rucksack. Now what? Thousands of backpackers flock to Australia each year. Many of these travelers underestimate the time required to find a job and many more overestimate how long their savings will last them. Here's how the average backpackers can maximize their time, travel and money in Australia.

Prep Before You Go: Think about what type of work you would like to do. What will the dress code be like? Do you have a decent outfit to wear if you need to interview? Will you require a resume? What cities would you like to work in? Weight the positives and the negatives. Sydney is a more expensive city, but there is more work there than in the outback. What are your qualifications? Do you have contacts, references, etc. if need be? You don't want to spend a few days trying to track down contacts, phone numbers and addresses from 10,000 kilometers away.

Be Realistic in Your Work Expectations: The Australian Government calls the visa program a "Working Holiday" for a reason. The stated purpose of the visa is to allow for travelers to "holiday in Australia and to supplement their travel funds through incidental employment." Because you are only allowed to work for three months with one employer, do not expect to nab a high paying office job with a lot of responsibility and opportunities to pad your resume. Unless you work in an in-demand field with a dire shortage, such as nursing, most work positions will be unskilled and low-paying. Employers do not wish to invest a lot of money and time training a person who will be gone in three months or less. Besides, you probably won't be hauling around appropriate office wear in your rucksack.

Get Out of the Hostel: Although spending a few days at a hostel is good to overcome your jet-lag and become used to your surroundings, get out of hostel as soon as you can. Hostels are expensive, and add up quickly. A number of people sublet rooms and/or apartments on a month-to-month basis. It is not a wise idea to sign any long-term contract or lease as you may want to move due to financial or personal reasons. There are a few places to look for housing- check out the housing website linked from the Australian newspapers, or pick up a hard copy of the real estate section on Wednesday or Saturday. Also, look a billboards in hostels and those around university campuses. Some jobs, especially those on WWOOF (World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms), will provide accommodation.

Pick up a Backpacker Mag: Backpacker magazines like TNT list accommodation options but more importantly, jobs. There are a few articles, but these are mostly 'fluff' pieces: people pick up TNT and other free magazines for their advertisements, not their content. Scour the pages to see your options.

Ask Around: Talk to other travelers at the hostels. See where they found their jobs, what they loved and what they hated. Get the dirt on the jobs that suck, and find out that you can do to snag the ones that rock. Visit travel agencies and work centers. Some have bulletin boards that advertise jobs, and most will have a rack with the newest editions of backpacker magazines.

Reply ASAP: Don't drag your feet! Jobs come and go. They generally offer very short periods of employment (no longer than 3 months), and have very quick turn around times. You can reply on Tuesday, have an interview on Wednesday and start on Thursday. Temporary work is just that: temporary. It's not going to stick around forever. Besides, positions fill up fast.

Most Popular Employment: Although the availability of these positions varies from city-to-city and from season-to-season, most backpackers end up doing these jobs at least once, simply because they are the most flexible and there are a lot of them. Fruit picking, soliciting for r non-profit organizations, and 'cold-calling' intensive positions such as telemarketing and promotions can be found throughout Australia.

Moving to Australia

So, you like Australia. Ok, so you love Australia and you'd like to look into actually moving there someday. Unfortunately, so do a lot of other people. The good thing is, Australia's a big country. There are a few ways to spend some extra time in Australia.

Studying Abroad: If you're looking at going to school anyway, why not do it in Oz? The Australian Government likes international students because they aren't allowed to work (thus, they don't take away jobs) and they pump a lot of money into the economy (school, supplies, travel, apartments, you name it).

Working Holiday Makers/Special Program Youth USA: Temporary work options for citizens of Commonwealth countries and the U.S. The length varies- holiday makers can stay for up to a year, but they must change jobs every three months. Special Program participants can only stay for four months. Read more about working abroad here.

Migrating to Australia: According to the Australian Government, most people migrate to Australia through one of three ways. They are "skilled migrants who must have work skills or abilities that will benefit Australia; family migrants who must have a relative in Australia who will sponsor them; or refugees." If you believe you qualify for refugee status, consult this site. For those lucky enough to have an immediate family member in Australia, check out this page.

If you posses an in-demand skill, skilled migration might be the best way to get to Oz. The skill migration pre-test can be done here. The test rewards those who have a firm grasp of the English language, are young adults, possess work experience and work in a professional field. Here is a list of professions and points awarded. Points are also awarded for those who have fluency in an Aboriginal language, can invest capital, live in a slow-growth area or work in an in-demand field such as nursing, among other things. The minimum point level was raised on April 14, 2004 from 115 to 120 points. The test is deceptive- most young adults with degrees who speak English will have around 100 points. The final 15-20 points can be very difficult to achieve. Not all is lost if you fail to reach your 120 point mark; those with 70 points are allowed to enter the "pool" and have their record kept on file for up to two years.

Those with exceptional talents, employer sponsorship or business proposals and capital can seek different visas.

Australian Embassies Abroad

If you would prefer to talk to a real person about studying, working or living in Australia, call or go to your nearest Australian Embassy. This is a list of some of the Australian Embassies abroad. If you do not see your home country listed, go to the Australian Embassy Homepage.

Canada
Ottawa Australian High Commission, Suite 710, 50 O'Connor St, Ottawa, ON K1P 6L2 (tel 613/236-0841, fax 236-4376).

Toronto Australian Consulate-General, Suite 314, 175 Bloor St E, Toronto, ON M4W 3R8 (tel 416/323-1155, fax 323-3910).

Vancouver Australian Consulate, Suite 1225, 888 Dunsmuir St, Vancouver, BC V6C 3K4 (tel 604/684-1177, fax 684-1856).

Indonesia
Bali Australian Consulate, Jalan Prof Moh Yamin 51, Renon, Denpasar, Bali (tel 0361/23 5092, fax 23 1990).

Jakarta Australian Embassy, Jalan HR Rasuna Said Kav C15-16, Kuningan, Jakarta Selatan 12940 (tel 021/2550 5555, fax 522 7101).

Ireland
Dublin Australian Embassy, Fitzwilton House, Wilton Terrace, Dublin 2 (tel 01/676 1517, fax 678 5185).

Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur Australian High Commission, 6 Jalan Yap Kwan Seng, Kuala Lumpur 50450 (tel 246 5555, fax 241 5773).

New Zealand
Auckland Australian Consulate-General, 8th floor, Union House, 32-38 Quay St, Auckland 1 (tel 09/303 2429, fax 377 0798).

Wellington Australian High Commission, 72-78 Hobson St, Thorndon, Wellington (tel 04/473 6411, fax 498 7135).

Singapore
Singapore Australian High Commission, 25 Napier Rd, Singapore 258507 (tel 065/836 4150, fax 737 7465).

Thailand
Bangkok Australian Embassy, 37 South Sathorn Rd, Bangkok 10120 (tel 02/287 2680, fax 287 2029).

U.K
London Australian High Commission, Australia House, Strand, London WC2B 4LA (tel 020/7379 4334, fax 7240 5333 ).

Manchester Australian Consulate, Chatsworth House, Lever St, Manchester M1 2DL (tel 09065/508900, fax 061/236 4074).

U.S.
Atlanta Australian Consulate-General, 1 Buckhead Plaza, Suite #970, 3060 Peachtree Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30305 (tel 404/760-3400, fax 760-3401).

Honolulu Australian Consulate-General, 1000 Bishop St, Honolulu, HI 96813 (tel 808/524-5050, fax 531-5142).

Los Angeles Australian Consulate-General, Century Plaza Towers, 19th floor, 2049 Century Park E, Los Angeles, CA 90067 (tel 310/229-4800, fax 277-2258).

New York Australian Consulate-General, 34th Floor, 150 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017-5612 (tel 212/351-6500, fax 351-6501).

San Francisco Australian Consulate-General, 7th floor, 1 Bush St, San Francisco, CA 94104-4413 (tel 415/362-6160, fax 986-2775).

Washington Australian Embassy, 1601 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036 (tel 202/797-3000, fax 797-3168).

Studying Abroad

Thousands of international students study abroad in Austaralia each year. There are so many students that the Australian government has a site devoted to studying in Australia and can be read in thirteen different languages. About 180,000 students from 140 countries studied in Oz in 2000. Australia's academic standards are highly regarded and all of the universities are accredited by the government. Only two of the 39 universities are private; the rest are government-funded public institutions.

If you wish to obtain a degree from an Australian university, it is best to consult the government site. For those who wish to study abroad for only a semester or a year, there are hundreds of programs to get you there. A quick search on Google will provide you with a list. However, be aware that your home institution may only accept credit and/or offer financial aid if you go through a certain program. Make sure to ask at your school's study abroad office.

Bootsnall has a comprehensive database of study abroad information. Check out "How to Study Abroad" for more information on studying overseas.

Money Basics

It is unnecessary to exchange money before you arrive in Australia. Western currencies such as the British Pound, European Euro, and Canadian and American Dollar, are easy to convert. The country�s proximity to Asia also allows for the easy conversion of the yen. Approximately 20 different forms of currency can be changed at any airport or city exchange center. Traveler�s checks can be converted, but at a lower exchange rate than cash. Traveler�s checks in Australian Dollars are hard to cash outside of the city centers. Airports generally give the worst exchange rate and/or have the highest commission charge. Some hotels will change money, but it is unnecessary to use their services as banks and exchange centers give better rates. There are numerous places to exchange money throughout Australia, especially in large city centers. Exchanging money in the outback or in small towns can be difficult, but ATMs are practically everywhere.

ATMs
ATMs can be found throughout Australia. Most ATMs will accept international cash cards with the Visa or Mastercard logo on them. The ATMs are not required to list fee surcharges; expect to come away 2-3 dollars poorer after using one. Before you leave, inquire with your home bank about how much they will charge you for each transaction as well. Because of these fees, taking out small sums of 20 dollars each time you use one is not recommended.

If you wish to utilize the cash advance option on a credit card, make sure you establish a pin number before you leave, and know the daily interest rates.

Travelers who will be in Australia for a long time should consider opening a bank account with an institution that has branches nation-wide, such as ANZ, which also serves New Zealand. This will allow for easier access to cash and can cut down on your ATM fees. Note that you can only open a bank account your first six weeks in the country.

Black Market
As Australia has a well-developed economy, black market currency exchanges are not options. Should one be presented to you, say no. Exchanging currency this way is illegal, and not recommended.

1 Euro = 1.62 Australian Dollars
1 US Dollar = 1.33 Australian Dollars
1 British Pound = 2.43 Australian Dollars

1 Australian Dollar = 0.62 Euros
1 Australian Dollar = 0.75 US Dollars
1 Australian Dollar = 0.41 British Pounds